Ed Gillespie, likely Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), denounced a federal judge's decision Thursday to overturn the state's gay marriage ban in a statement to TPM, dismissing it as "judicial fiat" when the issue should be left to voters.

"Ballot initiatives and state legislatures have been addressing this issue all over the country," he said in Friday's statement. "This is a matter the people of Virginia should be free to decide, rather than having a Federal judge impose law by judicial fiat."

"Public debate and the legislative process are the appropriate way to decide the question of same sex marriage."